Outcome
nounThe final result or consequence of an action, process, or event.
How to spell outcome
7 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce outcome
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does outcome mean?
- nounThe final result or consequence of an action, process, or event.
Outcome in a sentence
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The outcome of the negotiation surprised everyone in the room.
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Doctors review every outcome to improve future treatment.
Where does outcome come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
Outcome is a native English compound built from the everyday words 'out' and 'come', both of which trace back to Old English (ut meaning 'out' and cuman meaning 'to come'). The literal idea is of something that 'comes out' of a process, much like the closely related Scandinavian and German formations that join the same two elements. The word appears in early use to describe what issues or emerges from a situation, and by the nineteenth century it had settled firmly into its modern meaning of a final result or consequence. Because both parts are common, plain English words, the spelling is transparent and rarely causes trouble. The same pattern of 'out' plus a verb gives us familiar relatives such as 'output', 'outbreak', and 'outlook'.
How the word is built
- out- (out, forth)
- come (to arrive, result)
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